Caramel Coconut Bars (Samoas Inspired)

Published: Mar 18, 2024 by Allison · 8 Comments

These soft and gooey bars feature three delicious layers: shortbread cookie crust, caramel coconut filling, and a milk chocolate drizzle. This recipe is inspired by Samoas Girl Scout cookies. Pssst….our version is even better.

You know I love, love, love bar desserts. They’re quick to make, easy to serve, and the flavor possibilities are endless (see peanut butter bars, chocolate pecan bars, and lemon blueberry bars). These caramel coconut bars were an immediate favorite!

Caramel coconut bars topped with melted chocolate on parchment paper.

Jump to:

These caramel coconut bars are

Three layers: Shortbread crust, caramel coconut filling, chocolate topping.

Chewy and gooey: Thanks to a brown sugar-caramel and shredded coconut.

Sweet and buttery: These bars are rich and decadent. A little goes a long way.

A make ahead dessert: These bars require several hours to cool, so this is a great treat to make in advance.

Easy: Even with three different layers this recipe comes together quickly and easily.

Stack of three caramel coconut bars on parchment paper.

Behind the recipe testing

I love Samoas Girl Scout cookies but I felt like they could be made even better. Here’s how I got to work on these Samoas-inspired bars:

Bars instead of cookies: Bars are much easier to prepare than individual cookies.
Stick with a shortbread cookie crust: This crust is a touch softer and more buttery than the Girl Scout version.
Extra caramel coconut filling: I wanted an ooey-gooey filling that was packed with buttery caramel and lots of shredded coconut.
Chocolate topping: I tested this recipe with semisweet, bittersweet, and milk chocolate. My taste testers all agreed that milk chocolate was our favorite. We skipped dipping the bottom into chocolate (although feel free to do so!) and drizzled it on top.
Sweet and salty balance: Although the traditional is cookie is good, we found them to be sooooo sweet. I was sure to balance out the sweetness with salt in the crust and filling, as well as a sprinkle of flaky finishing salt on top of the bars.

Caramel coconut bars on a piece of parchment paper next to a piping bag filled with melted chocolate.

Serving and storage

These are bars are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. The colder the bars are the more firm they will be.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

More coconut desserts

SUBSCRIBE to our free NEWSLETTER – Follow on INSTAGRAM

Recipe

Caramel Coconut Bars

These soft and gooey bars feature three delicious layers: shortbread cookie crust, caramel coconut filling, and a milk chocolate drizzle. This recipe is inspired by Samoas Girl Scout cookies.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Save Saved!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 27 minutes

Total Time: 52 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Instructions

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease it.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, salt, and flour for several minutes until crumbly but combined. The mixture should hold together if you press it between your fingertips. Dump into the prepared pan and press into an even layer (I use the bottom of a measuring cup). Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, proceed with the filling.

Filling:

Place butter, brown sugar, honey, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is simmering with bubbles throughout. Simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and coconut.
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth into an even layer. Return to the oven for 12 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping:

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or the microwave. Be sure to do this very slowly so the chocolate doesn't seize. Add the melted chocolate to a piping bag or ziptop bag. Snip the very corner off and drizzle the chocolate over the bars in a zigzag pattern. Note: I like to cut the bars before adding the chocolate. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired. Allow a couple hours for the chocolate to firm up.

Notes

*Coconut: I like to roughly chop the shredded coconut so there are no stringy pieces. This is an optional step based on your preference. Serving and storage: These are bars are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. The colder the bars are the more firm they will be. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.